Jackbox Series Review (Xbox, PlayStation, Mobile & PC)

Couch co-op isn’t dead, it’s just rooted deep within the ever-evolving heart of Jackbox Games’ collection of witty ice breakers and off-beat shenanigans. Here, it isn’t so much about the company you keep, but being able to bathe in a quirky bouquet of different worlds and activities that each house their own distinct personalities and flexi-genre qualities. Oh, you could opt for a one-trick pony with a single theme, or—and this is a big one—you could pepper your eggs into a plethora of baskets and reap the benefits across an entire farmyard of coops. Personally, I’d opt for the latter.

Frankly, you could easily spend a dozen or more hours rifling through the pages of Jackbox Games’ anthology of party mini-games and still find a missing piece of the puzzle to embrace. See, where most party-based games often build their walls around two, perhaps even three mini-games, Jackbox Games moves along a different path—a route that bends, weans, and latches onto countless activities and experiences. A lot of talk for a game that you can simply boot up from the comfort of your own home, but stick with us.

Always a Party

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, then here’s what you need to know: Jackbox Games is a collection of mini-games that you and your friends can jump into with as little as a mobile phone and a room code. The idea, in short, is that each player participates in one of dozens of activities, including trivial tasks, drawing competitions, team-based puzzles, fibbing, interviews, storytelling, and even a simple battle of wits, to list just a handful of its signature games. And I’ll be honest with you, there is a lot for you to work with here, with each Pack offering five unique segments and an opportunity for up to eight players to join the battle for the throne. Moreover, up to 10,000 people can join as spectators, meaning, even if you’re playing with a smaller squad, you can still invite the world to watch you pull the strings and, on some occasions, burn bridges with your closest friends. But more on that later.

The good news is that, even if you’re unfamiliar with video games or have little to no experience with the general mechanics of them, you don’t necessarily need to consume any knowledge to be able to enjoy the Jackbox pickings. See, while each mini-game has its own set of rules, your input more or less remains the same: react to a prompt with a written answer, or sketch a drawing on your mobile phone or tablet. In other words, you don’t need to be an advocate for the gaming community to make ends meet in Jackbox.

To make matters that much easier, Jackbox doesn’t require you to be the Van Gough of ten-second art installations to truly appreciate the comical value. If anything, most mini-games tend to rely on subtle jabs and private jokes, poor choices and absurd quips to tell their stories. And that’s just as well, because I can’t sketch to save my life. I guess that also makes me the perfect candidate for a bi-weekly Jackbox party, then. It’s either that, or those who I choose to play with just feel incredibly sorry for me. It’s probably the latter, but let’s move on.

A Pack for Everyone

While the original trilogy in the Jackbox series does indeed have several of the best mini-games to date, there are dozens of “special” Packs available to those in need of something a little, shall we say, extra. For example, there’s a Naughty Pack, which includes a social deduction game and, for the sake of appealing to a “spicier” demographic, two additional activities that allow for you to answer “mature” questions and sketch “flavorful” answers. It’s still the same idea, as is most Packs in the series — but you get the point. With enough variety to cover all bases and personal tastes, you’re more or less spoilt for choice here.

Suffice it to say that, with a formidable backbone and a ton of room for growth, Jackbox Games has the opportunity to evolve into something much, much greater. The infrastructure is already in place, and so, it’s merely the case of how it will develop, and where it will go in the near future. Either way, it’s safe to say that, as far as affordable and reliable party games go, Jackbox more or less has the breathing room and social backing to plant roots in just about any genre that it deems suitable for its comedic and somewhat charming tone.

Verdict

Jackbox Games’ collection of quick and oftentimes hilarious mini-games and couch-based quizzes makes for one of the sprightliest party-based series on the market, with an extensive selection of ice-breaking bouts and genre-spanning activities that each bring their own distinctive themes and qualities to the center of your living room. Although a little steep in comparison with your typical couch-based battler, Jackbox Games offers more than enough replay value to justify the price tag — and then some. And the best part is, it’s only just beginning to establish its roots.

While it’s certainly no secret that party games are becoming increasingly popular among households, there are only so many that truly boast the wingspan to cloak an entire webbing of genres. Jackbox Games, specifically, thankfully has the infrastructure to foster countless ideas and, through its natural charm and beginner-friendly interface, expand into vast areas that have yet to be explored in alternate worlds. For that reason alone, I’m more than willing to sing its praises and call it for what it is: a true ambassador for the party. A little cheesy, for sure, but a moniker that feels all rather fitting.

Sadly, we aren’t able to recommend just the one pack, as Jackbox Games’ bulky box of goodies has a vastly different selection of editions to choose from, with DLC that stretches from horror-based trivia to quip-centric duels, sketch-based puzzles to full-fledged murder parties. If we had to put our eggs into the one basket, though, then we’d opt for Jackbox Party Pack 3. Thanks us later.